The History of a Match Made in Thanksgiving: Sweet Potatoes and Marshmallows

For many people it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without the marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes. But why do we create such a thing? It's not as if we traditionally sprinkle Hershey's Kisses on our salads or stuff our turkeys with gummy bears. When did the traditional dish of extra-sweetened sweet potatoes emerge?

Sweet potatoes originated in South and Central America. Christopher Columbus irst brought the sugary tuber to Spain in the late 15th century. Its sweetness won Europeans over immediately. Many, including Henry VIII, believed sweet potatoes were an aphrodisiac, further aiding their popularity. From Europe, the potatoes were brought over to America where they found a happy home in the humid South. Southerners adopted the flourishing sweet potato as a replacement for pumpkin in pies and seasonal side dishes.

But while they were commonly included in holiday spreads, sweet potatoes would not meet their fluffy candy companions until the early 1900s. According to Saveur, the first instance of marshmallows in a sweet potato dish appeared in a booklet commissioned by Angelus Marshmallows, one of the first companies to mass produce the candies that were formerly only available to the rich. The booklet was made to introduce the now readily available marshmallows as an everyday ingredient. Included in the collection of recipes was the now famous mashed sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows. The dish caught fire — not literally, of course — especially in the North. Now it is a quintessential Thanksgiving side dish, right up there with mashed potatoes and green bean casserole.